Clothes-retainer



G. H. WHEARY.

CLOTHES RETAINER.

APPLxcATloN FILED AuG.|2. 191e.

l ,3 1 6, 87 2 Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

TILLA 14| SATS PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY, orl RACINE', wisconsin.

CLOTHES-RETAINER;

Application filed August 12, 1918. Serial No. 249,480.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY WHEARY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the County of Racine and State of Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Retainers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes retainers more particularly adapted for use in wardrobe and other trunks.

Trunks of the wardrobe type are usually provided with clothes retainers or followers which are adapted to hold the medial or lower portions of apparel suspended from the garment hangers mounted in the upper portion of the wardrobe section of the trunk. These retainers or followers are adjustably held in position by straps or latches of various kinds which are connected to the side portions of the wardrobe section. In removing or replacing apparel in the wardrobe section it is necessary in the ordinary retainers or followers to entirely remove the said retainers or followers from the wardrobe section to permit access to said section. This removal requires considerable time, and when removed there is always the liability of the retainer being misplaced or lost.

Furthermore in practice it has been found that the side walls of the compartments warp to a greater or less extent and it is somewhat diflicult for an inexperienced person to engage the opposite ends of the retainer with the securing means mounted on the opposite side walls of the trunk section, due to the increased or lessened distance between said side walls, and it becomes necessary to force the compartment walls together or spring them apart in order to space the securing means the proper distance apart to be engaged by the retainer.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a clothes retainer which may be swung and folded to an out of the way position without detaching the retainer from the trunk.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes retainer which is adapted to be elongated or contracted to compensate for the varying distances apart of the side Walls of the wardrobe section of the trunk.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes retainer which is adapted to be adjust-ably secured to the opposite side portions of the wardrobe section of a trunk.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes retainer in which one end portion thereof is automatically, adjustably locked to one of the side portions of the wardrobe section.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes retainer which while un` necessary to remove from the trunk section to permit access to the apparel therein may be easily removed when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment retainer which is of simple construction, is strong and durable, and is well adapted for the purpose described.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved clothes retainer and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a wardrobe trunk provided with the improved clothes retainer;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on a larger' scale taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

v Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken on line lf-fl of Fig. 2 showing the retainer in folded position and swung to one side of the wardrobe section; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 8 indicates the wardrobe section or compartment of a trunk 9 the other section hinged thereto and 10 clothes retainers slidably mounted within said wardrobe section. The wardrobe section is of ordinary construc tion and is provided in its upper portion with the usual garment hangers (not shown) which support the apparel or garments in extended position. Metal retainer bar engaging guide members 11 are mounted on the opposite side and rear walls of the wardrobe section of the trunk. Medial portions 12 of said guide members 11 are spaced a slight distance from the side walls of the compartment to accommodate the opposite engaging portions of the retainer Hwhich permits the said retainer to be swung outwardly and against one of the side walls vof the trunk section. The slide member vided with spacedbolt openings forming shoulders 14 for locking the retainer bar thereto in adjusted position.

` VOne end portion of the retainer is connected Vto a slide member l5 by a hinge joint 16 extends partly laround its coacting guide member 11 with its horizontal edge portions 15 interposed between the guide and the side wall of the trunk section, and spaced apart a sufficient distance to pass over the reduced end portions 13 of the guide to permit the removal of said slide from the guide. A bolt member 17 fixedly mounted on the inner side of the retainer bar adjacent the hinge 1 6 and projecting therefrom is adapted to automatically swing into one of the bolt'openings 14 of the guide member 11 engaged by the slide when the retainer is swung into the trunk section and at right angles to said guide bar and engage the shoulders and thus lock this end of the retainer in adjusted position. The opposite end of the retainer is provided with a spring bolt 18A having a beveled end portion 18 whichA snaps into the bolt openings and engages the shoulders14 of the adjacent guide member 1l. The casing 19 of said spring bolt is formed with a projecting hook portion 2O which hooks over the upper edge portion of the said adjacent guide member and prevents endwise movement of this end 'of the retainer with relation to the guide member.

The connection of the slide and the spring lock hook' portion with the guide members securely holds the guide members and the compartment yside walls ,from bulging outwardly or being forced inwardly a greater distance than is permitted by the adjustable feature of the retainer bar now about to be described.

The retainer bar is divided medially of its l' va retalner bar member having means on one rend of the retainer bar part provided with .the spring lock. Said retainer bar inner part bein provided with a horizontally extending e ongated slot 22.,y The slotted portion is interposed between the end extensions 21. of the coupling member and a pin or bolt 23 extending through the 4slot and the end Leiders extensions permits a limited telescoping or endwise movement of the retainer bar parts relative to each other. The tubular portion of the connecting member 21 extends beyond the inner end of the retainer part to which it is connected to form a socket 24 to receive the inner end of the other retainer bar part and hold both parts locked against folding and in alined position. When the slotted retainer bar part is pulled outwardly so that its inner end is out of the socket 24 it may then be dropped-downwardly to folded position as clearly shown in'Fig'. 4'. "When thus folded and swung to one side of the` trunk section and the slide member-pushed inwardly to the rear portion of the trunk section, the retainer bar willbe out of the way and not interfere with the removal or replacement of apparel suspended on the garment hangers. The telescoping slotted end portion of the retainer bar part is reinforced by a metal covering 25.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the retainer bar is of very simple vconstruction and is well adapted for the purpose described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A clothes retainer, comprising a two part retainer bar having its inner' end portions slidably and pivotally connected together, one of the two-part portions connected to its support to swingfhorizontally and the other part being releasa'bly connected to its support and swingable downwardly from Y the first mentioned part. Y

2. A clothes retainer, comprising a two part'retainer bar having its inner vend portions slidably and foldably connected together, one of the-two-part portions connect" ed to its support to swing horizontally and 105 the other part being releasably connected to its support and swingable downwardly from the first mentioned part,

3. A clothes retainer, comprising a two part retainer bar having its inner end por 110 tions pivota'lly connected together to permit one part to swing downwardly from the other, said other part being connected to its support to swing horizontally. v f

4. A clothes two-part retainer, comprising 115 end for locking andl unlocking said end to Va trunk side wall guide fixture by a horizon- -tal swingmgmovement of the retainer bar, and means for locking the other end o-f the horizontally movable part.

6. A clothes retainer, comprising a two part retainer bar having its inner end portions telescopingly and pivotally connected together to permit a downward swing of one of the parts, a Xed bolt and a hinge connection on one end portion of the retainer bar and a movable bolt on the other end of said retainer bar.

7. The combination with a pair of spaced trunk side wall guide members having lock ing shoulders, a two-part retainer bar interposed between said guide members and having` a bolt on one end which lockingly engages the locking shoulders of one o f the guide members and which is automatically unlocked therefrom when said retainer bar is swung horizontally outwardly, one of the bar parts being swingable downwardly, and means locking the opposite end of the retainer bar to the other' guide member.

8. The combination with pairs of spaced trunk side wall guide members having locking shoulders, a two-part retainer bar interposed between said guide members and having a fixed bolt and a hinge connection on one end which loclcingly engages the locking shoulders and which is automatically unlocked therefrom when said retainer bar is swung horizontally outwardly, one of the bar parts being swingalble downwardly horizontally, and a spring bolt means for locking the opposite end of the retainer bar to the other guide member.

9. The combination with a pair of spaced trunk side wall guide members having locking shoulders, a retainer bar interposed between said guide members and having a bolt on one end which loekingly engages the locking shoulders of one of the guide members and which is automatically unlocked therefrom when said retainer bar is swung outwardly, and means locking the opposite end of the retainer bar to the other guide member, said lretainer ban .having means on its opposite ends for engaging the outer side portions of the guide members.

10. The combination with a pair of spaced trunk side wall guide members having locking shoulders, a two part retainer bar interposed between said guide members and having its inner end portions which are pivotally and slidably connected together, a member slidably mounted on one of the guide members and having a hinged connection with one of the outer ends of the retainer bar, a bolt mounted on said outer end of said retainer bar and engaging the locking shoulders thereof when swung to a position between the guide members and automatically disengaging said shoulders when the retainer bar is swung outwardly, and means for locking the other end of said retainer bar to the other guide member.

11. The combination with a pair of spaced trunk side wall guide members having locking shoulders, a two part retainer bar interposed between said guide members and havmg inner end portions which are pivotally and loekingly connected together, a slide member removably mounted on one of the guide members and having a hinged connection with one of the outer end portions of the retainer bar, a bolt iixedlyv mounted on said outer end portion of the retainer bar and loolringly engaging the shoulders when between said guide members and automatically disengaging said shoulders when the retainer bar is swung outwardly, and a spring bolt member mounted on the other outer end of the retainer bar and engaging the locking shoulders of the other guide member.

12. The combination lwith a pair of spaced trunk side wall guide members having locking shoulders, a two part retainer bar interposed between said guide members and having lnner end portions which are slidably and pivotally and loclingly connected together, a slide member removably mounted on one of the guide members and having a hinged connection with one of the outer end portions of the retainer bar, a bolt fiXedly mounted on said outer end portion of the retainer bar and lockingly engaging the shoulders when between said guide members and automatically disengaging said shoulders when the retainer bar is swung outwardly, and a spring boltmember mounted on the other outer end of the retainer bar and engaging the locking shoulders of the other guide member.

13. The combination with a pair of spaced trunk side wall guide members having locking shoulders, a Jtwo part retainer bar interposed betwcen said guide members and having inner end portions which are pivotally and lockingly connected together, a slide member removably mounted on one of the guide members and having a hinged connection with one of the outer end portions of the retainer bar, a bolt fixedly mounted on said outer end portion of the retainer bar and loekingly engaging the shoulders when between said guide members and automatically disengaging said shoulders when the retainer bar is swung outwardly, and a spring bolt member mounted on the other outer end of the retainer bar and engaging the locking shoulders of the other guide member, said retainer having means on its opposite ends for engaging the outer side portions of the guide members.

14:. A clothes retainer, comprising a two part retainer bar having its inner end portions pivotally and lockingly connected together, a slidable member hinged to one of the outer ends of said retainer bar, a bolt mounted on the end of said retainer bar adjacent the slidable member, and a spring bolt mounted on the opposite end of said retainer bar, the -gsjidable member, and the of theretainer bar, s; v1001i", fxedly connected easing ofhe Spring 'having 'hook Ylike .vportothe Same outer end thereof, and a spring tions. e o l o VV bolt4 mounted onthe other outer end of Ysaid. l0

515. A clothes retainer, comprising atwo retainer banbothouter ends Of Said retainer 5 ,part retyan'ernbar pivote-Hy and slide-bly -hapvng hook like parts.

' connected togetherlat itsfnner ends, a S1d Intestmony Whereof 'aHXVmV signature.

Qfble memberhinged to one of the outerends GEORGE HENRY W'IVIEARY.V

fco'pi'e' thiwptxit maybkobteined for ve centseach, by addressing the"0ommiss1oner o'f-Patent. 'washingtomjn c. 

